Shengal residents refute that “Iraqi jets bombed PKK positions”

Articles published in certain media institutions known for their close ties with the KDP claiming that Iraqi fighter jets bombed “PKK positions” in Shengal have been refuted by Shengal residents.

K24 in particular alleged that Iraqi fighter jets bombed “PKK positions” in Shengal. Their article even claimed that PKK sources confirmed the Iraqi air strike.

According to K24, 8 jets of the Baghdad administration attacked “PKK positions” in the Geli Kersi region in Shengal on Monday at around 16:30.

Geli Kersi resident Menur Shahdî spoke to Roj News and refuted the claims of an attack against the guerrilla. Shahdî also pointed out that even before the withdrawal from Shengal, HPG guerrillas were not positioned in Geli Kersi.

Mentioning the guerrilla’s resistance against ISIS attacks in Shengal, Shahdî said: “Now, the Southern Kurdistan administration, Kurds in general and regional forces should be thankful to the HPG for saving their reputation against ISIS, but they are trying to create a perception through the Iraqi government that the PKK is still in the region, which would give an excuse to forces that have enacted massacres against all the Êzidî people. Even before the PKK withdrew from Shengal, there were no HPG members in the Geli Kersi region mentioned in the article. So the claim that Iraqi fighter jets bombed PKK positions is not true.”

HPG and YJA-Star guerrillas had withdrawn from Shengal by early April. KCK Executive Council Co-Presidency had issued a statement in March and said “the circumstances of August 3, 2014 have changed”, stressing that the Êzidîs are now an organized society. KCK stated that security had been established in and around Shengal and thus the guerrilla forces were to withdraw.

The guerrillas had rushed to Shengal during the genocidal attacks by ISIS gangs on August 3, 2014 and were the reason tens of thousands of people had been rescued. The resistance against gangs and humanitarian intervention was talked about all over the world.